Milton Keynes taxis 'safer than ever' after driver scandal, licensing boss says
Police commissioner dismisses fatal crash chase reports
Laura Trott sets new world record with pursuit team
Ighalo 'honoured' by new Watford deal
Weather: Sunny and dry, peaking at 26C (79F)
Live updates for Friday, 12 August
BBC Sport
Wendover's James Rodwell is part of the rugby sevens squad which took silver for Team GB at the Olympics last night.
Rodwell played schools rugby in Tring and Berkhamsted, and is now the most capped England sevens player of all time. But after winning the silver in Rio, he made another announcement...
Alex Pope
BBC Local Live
Virgin says its timetable will be "unaffected" during the walkouts planned by the RMT union.
The firm, which operates services through Hertfordshire, said it was making changes to customer-facing roles "which will see a single person take responsibility for the customer experience on our trains".
It said the union "walked out of talks" on Thursday after "refusing to enter further discussions".
Image source, Geograph/JaggeryQuote MessageWith our guarantees that there will be no compulsory redundancies, no impact on safety and a full timetable in place during the walk-outs, these strikes will cost RMT members pay for no reason, and we urge the union to rejoin us around the negotiating table.
David Horne, MD Virgin Trains East Coast
Alex Pope
BBC Local Live
The rail minister, Paul Maynard, has condemned the RMT union, after it announced that members who work for Virgin Trains East Coast, which run through Stevenage, are to hold three 24-hour strikes this month, including one on Bank Holiday Monday.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe RMT says Virgin provoked the strike by trying to bulldoze through a package of measures that would destroy jobs and harm working conditions.
But Mr Maynard said the union appeared determined to try to wreck the daily lives of passengers.
Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East
Safdar Ali and his family from Luton are volunteering this weekend at Jalsa Salana, external, the largest Muslim conference in the UK.
The conference will advise Muslims how to tackle extremism, radicalisation and the threat of terrorism in their communities.
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Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East
Today I'm in Hampshire at Jalsa Salana, external, the largest Muslim conference in the UK.
About 30,000 Ahmadiyya Muslims are expected from across the UK and the world this weekend and I've come to meet and talk to Safdar Ali and his extended family from Luton.
He is volunteering on the sound stage.
He says he's here to spread "love, peace and true Islam to the world".
Alex Pope
BBC Local Live
Floral tributes have been left outside the home of a Bedfordshire mother who was killed along with three children on the A43 in Berkshire on Tuesday.
The 45-year-old has been named locally as Tracy Houghton from Dunstable and worked for Central Bedfordshire Council.
She died along with her sons, Ethan, 13 and Joshua, 11. An 11-year-old girl from Bedfordshire also died.
People in the area say they're still coming to terms with the terrible news.
Image source, SBNA
Image source, SBNAPeople who knew the Dunstable mother and her two sons who died in a car crash on the A43 on Tuesday have been talking about their shock after hearing the news.
Simon Reilly, from Dunstable Town Football Club, has tweeted this tribute:
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Geoff Doyle
BBC Three Counties Radio sport
All eyes will be on Milton Keynes long jumper Greg Rutherford tonight.
He'll start the defence of his long jump title at about 21:20 in Rio.
He goes into the event as holder of all four major long jump titles (Olympic, Commonwealth, European and World).
Image source, PAHe'll also be in action in the early hours of Sunday morning, in the final - if he gets through, of course!
BBC Sport
Wendover-born James Rodwell was part of the history-making GB rugby sevens team that won silver in Rio last night.
It was the first time the sport has been played at the Olympics and Rodwell, who played schools rugby in Tring and Berkhamsted, has become the most-capped England sevens player of all time.
After beating South Africa in the semis, the team lost to Fiji by 43-7.
Image source, Getty Images
Craig Lewis
BBC News
The chairman of Milton Keynes' licensing committee, Catriona Morris, told me she believes allowing only the best drivers licenses will make the passengers' experience better - and help make taxi drivers more money.
Ms Morris took over the role following the scandal of August 2014 when it was revealed serial rapist Nadeem Ahmed Kiani had been given a licence in 2011.
Image source, Getty ImagesShe said: "I often say, 'I am not a job agency'. It is about making sure we have the best drivers. Then more people will get into vehicles and the drivers will make more money.
"The vast majority of drivers get that."
As this stunning photo from Weather Watcher Gini in Bovingdon shows, it's certainly been a warm and sunny day in the Three Counties.
The good news is the sun will stay around this afternoon although it will at times become hazy.
Maximum temperature: 24C (75F).
Craig Lewis
BBC News
I've been talking to the chairman of the licensing committee at Milton Keynes Council about how things have changed since August 2014, when it was discovered serial rapist Nadeem Kiani was working in the city, external.
Councillor Catriona Morris told me she was very careful about the type of person given a licence: "One of the things I say to them is 'What would you do if a drunk girl, in a short skirt and t-shirt - which she is entitled to wear - gets in your taxi?'
"I want to know they are not going to take advantage of her, or if she hasn't got enough money that they are prepared to get her somewhere safe and walk away from their £5."
Image source, ThinkstockCraig Lewis
BBC News
The committee given the task of assessing whether seven taxi drivers with criminal convictions should continue driving were not told which of thousands of cases they were.
Following the revelation in August 2014 that serial rapist Nadeem Ahmed Kiani - whose licence was immediately revoked by council leader Pete Marland (pictured) - had been working in the city, an investigation took place to reassess all drivers in Milton Keynes.
Chairman of the licensing committee Catriona Morris said the seven drivers with convictions were part of this process, but she "didn't know who they were" to ensure "everyone was reviewed at the same level".
One of the seven handed in his licence, but the others were reviewed. Only two were considered fit to continue to drive - fitting the criteria of a new, more robust taxi policy.
Alex Pope
BBC Local Live
They say an elephant never forget so I hope they know what day it is...
Today is World Elephant Day, external... so let's hope they're being spoilt rotten at Woburn Safari Park!
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Dan Holley
BBC Look East weather
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Alex Pope
BBC Local Live
Workers from Virgin Trains East Coast have announced they are staging three 24-hour strikes.
It means services through Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire are likely to be affected.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will walk out from 03:00 on the 19 and 26 August and on Bank Holiday Monday.
Image source, Getty ImagesThey will also hold an overtime ban for 48 hours from August 27.
The RMT says almost 200 jobs are threatened on the East Coast line with the removal of a safety regime that currently ensures a guard on every train.
BBC Sport
It was a silver medal for Wendover's James Rodwell as he and Team GB lost out to Fiji in the inaugural men's rugby sevens final at Rio.
The final score was 47-7 to Fiji.
Watch the highlights of the game below.
Craig Lewis
BBC News
"Absolute shock" was the overriding reaction from current Milton Keynes Council licensing committee chairman Catriona Morris when she found out a serial rapist was working as a taxi driver in the town.
That was in August 2014 and as a result she was given the job of "sorting out" the council's licensing department.
Image source, ContributedShe described the decision to grant Nadeem Ahmed Kiani (pictured) a private hire licence in 2011 - and to renew it a year later after police flagged up concerns - as "completely unbelievable".
"I said at the time, 'Would I let my daughter or mother into this vehicle?' I didn't understand why that wasn't what everyone else had thought," she said.
An interactive exhibition inspired by Roald Dahl is opening at the Wales Millennium Centre, promising the chance to delve into the author's imagination.
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